EastStandBlue
Life President
All summer it's been obvious something hasn't been right with Kevin Pietersen. In so much pain he couldn't walk down the stairs throughout the Twenty20 World Cup and pumped so full of cortisone he'd be oblivious to a gunshot wound during the first two tests, the news that Pietersen requires surgery on his achilles came as little surprise.
The fact he's likely to miss the rest of the Ashes series, however, will do nothing but encourage an Australian side in no need of further encouragement.
In the now famous and much talked about 2005 Ashes series, Australia lost their taslimanic bowler Glenn McGrath after he slipped on a cricket balll in the warm up and England went on to capitalise on this and retain the Ashes. Losing such an important player, regardless of his form, can only have a negative impact during the series.
Pietersen has been England's enigma for some time now, and not even Freddie Flintoff strikes as much fear into the hearts of an Australian cricketer than KP does.
FIGJAM, as the Australians affectionately labelled him during the Winter of '06, is often as brilliant as he is frustrating. No sooner will he play a delightful cover drive to the boundary, he'll be lashing wildly at a ball wide of the stumps... And nobody could hide the fact his form, technique and maybe even his confidence have not been in the right place lately.
"During an Ashes series, you wrap them up, get them in an ice bath and you get through it. That's just what you do," said Ian Botham in the aftermath of Mondays test win at Lords, but the sight of Pietersen hobbling after a boundary bound shot made it clear Pietersen's problem was too serious for an ice bath to fix.
Ian Bell will fill in for Pietersen, often the victim of critics as his temperament and composure leave a lot to be desired, especially towards the top end of the order. He'll be buoyed by the fact the next test is at Edgbaston, where Bell has played a lot of his cricket this summer, but don't count on the Aussie bowlers giving him an easy ride at all.
England hold the advantage going into the third test, and the news that Brett Lee is unlikely to be fit in time for this will give the side a sigh of relief, however losing Pietersen is an almighty sucker punch to the teams effort, mentality and, more important, confidence... Another blow, such as the loss of Flintoff, could prove to be a Knock-Out.
The fact he's likely to miss the rest of the Ashes series, however, will do nothing but encourage an Australian side in no need of further encouragement.
In the now famous and much talked about 2005 Ashes series, Australia lost their taslimanic bowler Glenn McGrath after he slipped on a cricket balll in the warm up and England went on to capitalise on this and retain the Ashes. Losing such an important player, regardless of his form, can only have a negative impact during the series.
Pietersen has been England's enigma for some time now, and not even Freddie Flintoff strikes as much fear into the hearts of an Australian cricketer than KP does.
FIGJAM, as the Australians affectionately labelled him during the Winter of '06, is often as brilliant as he is frustrating. No sooner will he play a delightful cover drive to the boundary, he'll be lashing wildly at a ball wide of the stumps... And nobody could hide the fact his form, technique and maybe even his confidence have not been in the right place lately.
"During an Ashes series, you wrap them up, get them in an ice bath and you get through it. That's just what you do," said Ian Botham in the aftermath of Mondays test win at Lords, but the sight of Pietersen hobbling after a boundary bound shot made it clear Pietersen's problem was too serious for an ice bath to fix.
Ian Bell will fill in for Pietersen, often the victim of critics as his temperament and composure leave a lot to be desired, especially towards the top end of the order. He'll be buoyed by the fact the next test is at Edgbaston, where Bell has played a lot of his cricket this summer, but don't count on the Aussie bowlers giving him an easy ride at all.
England hold the advantage going into the third test, and the news that Brett Lee is unlikely to be fit in time for this will give the side a sigh of relief, however losing Pietersen is an almighty sucker punch to the teams effort, mentality and, more important, confidence... Another blow, such as the loss of Flintoff, could prove to be a Knock-Out.
